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Alice Meynell
Alice Christiana Gertrude Thompson Meynell (22 September 1847 - 27 November 1922) was an English poet and essayist.Alice Meynell, Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Web, Dec. 14, 2014. Life Meynell was born in Barnes, London, to Christiana (Weller) and Thomas James Thompson. Her father was a friend of Charles Dickens. The family moved around England, Switzerland, and France, but Alice was brought up mostly in Italy, where a daughter of Thomas from his first marriage had settled. Badeni, p. 1 Preludes (1875) was her first poetry collection, illustrated by her elder sister Elizabeth (the artist Lady Elizabeth Butler, 1850–1933, whose husband was Sir William Francis Butler]]). The work was warmly praised by John Ruskin, although it received little public notice. Ruskin especially singled out the sonnet '"Renunciation" for its beauty and delicacy.Badeni, pp. 52-55 Between 1860 and 1880, the entire Thompson family converted to the Roman Catholic Church,Badeni, p. 35 and Alice's writings migrated to religious subjects. This eventually led her to meet the Catholic newspaper publisher and editor Wilfrid Meynell (1852–1948) in 1876. A year later (1877) she married Meynell, and they settled in Kensington. They became proprietor and editor of The Pen, the Weekly Register, Merry England, and other magazines. Alice and Wilfrid had a family of eight children, Sebastian, Monica, Everard, Madeleine, Viola, Vivian (who died at three months), Olivia, and Francis. Viola Meynell (1885–1956) became an author in her own right, and the youngest child Francis Meynell (1891–1975) was the poet and printer at the Nonesuch Press.Badeni, pp. 50-116 Meynell was much involved in editorial work on publications with her husband, and in her own writing, both poetry and prose. She wrote regularly for The World, The Spectator, The Magazine of Art, The Scots Observer, The Tablet, The Art Journal, the National Observer (''edited by William Ernest Henley), the ''Pall Mall Gazette, and The Saturday Review. The British poet Francis Thompson, down and out in London and trying to recover from the opium addiction that had overtaken him, sent the couple a manuscript. His poems were first published in Wilfred's Merrie England, and the Meynells became a supporter of Thompson. His 1893 book Poems was a Meynell production and initiative. Another supporter of Thompson was the poet Coventry Patmore. Alice had a deep friendship with Patmore, lasting several years, which led to his becoming obsessed with her, forcing her to break with him.Badeni, p. 115-129 At the end of the 19th century, in conjunction with uprisings against the British (among them the Indian Mutiny, the Zulu War, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Muslim revolt led by Muhammad Ahmed in the Sudan), many European scholars, writers, and artists, especially Catholics, began to question Europe’s colonial imperialism, and its attempt to rule the world. This led Alice, Wilfrid, Elizabeth, and others in their circle to speak out for the oppressed. Alice became a leading figure in the Women Writers' Suffrage League, which was founded by Cicely Hamilton and active 1908 to 1919. After a series of illnesses, including migraine and depression, she died 27 November 1922. She is buried at Kensal Green Catholic Cemetery, London. Writing According to Wikipedia, "Her prose essays were remarkable for fineness of culture and peculiar restraint of style.""Alice Meynell ," Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org, Web, Oct. 2, 2011. Recognition 2 of her poems, "Renouncement" and "The Lady of the Lambs", were included in the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900."Renouncement," Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900 (edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch), Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919. Bartleby.com, Web, May 13, 2012. "The Lady of the Lambs". Arthur Quiller-Couch, editor, Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900 (Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919). Bartleby.com, Web, May 13, 2012. Publications Poetry *''Preludes. London: H.S. King, 1875. *Poems. London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1892. *Later Poems.'' London & New York: John Lane, 1902. *''The Shepherdess, and other verses. London: Burns & Oates, 1913. *Collected Poems. London: Burns & Oates, 1913; New York: Scribner, 1913. *Ten Poems by Alice Meynell, 1913-1915. Westminster, UK: Romney Street Press, 1915. *A Father of Women, and other poems'' . London: Burns & Oates, 1917. *''The Last Poems of Alice Meynell. London: Burns, Oates & Washburn, 1923. *The Poems of Alice Meynell. London: Burns, Oates & Washburn, 1923; New York: Scribner, 1923; Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1923. *''Alice Meynell. London: Ernest Benn (Augustan Books of Modern Poetry), 1926. *''Selected Poems'' (selected by Wilfrid Meynell). London: Burns, Oates & Washburn, 1930. *''Poems: Complete edition'' (edited by Frederick Page). London: Oxford University Press, 1940. *''Poems, 1847-1922'' (edited by Francis Meynell). London: Hollis & Carter, 1947; Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1955. Non-fiction *''The Poor Sisters of Nazareth: An illustrated record of the life at Nazareth House, Hammersmith. London: Burns & Oates, 1889. *The Rhythm of Life, and other essays. London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1893. *''William Holman Hunt: His life and work (with Frederick William Farrar). London: Art Journal, 1893. *''The Colour of Life, and other essays on things seen and heard.'' London: John Lane, 1896; Chicago: Way & William, 1896. *''The Children'' (essays). London & New York: John Lane, 1897. *''The Spirit of Place, and other essays. London & New York: John Lane, 1898. *London Impressions'' (etchings by William Henry Hyde). Westminster, UK: Archibald Constable, 1898. *''John Ruskin. London & Edinburgh, W. Blackwood, 1900; New York: Dodd, Mead, 1900. *Children of the Old Masters (Italian school). London: Duckworth, 1903; New York: Dutton, 1903. *''The Work of John S. Sargent. London: Heinemann / New York: Scribner, 1903. *''Ceres' Runaway, and other essays. London: Constable, 1909. *Mary, the mother of Jesus. London: P.L. Warner, 1912. *Childhood. London: B.T. Batsford, 1913; New York: Dutton, 1913. *Essays'' London: Burns & Oates, 1914; New York: Scribner, 1914. *''Hearts of Controversy. London: Burns & Oates, 1917; New York: Scribner, 1917. *The Second Person Singular, and other essays. London: Humphrey Milford / Oxford University Press, 1921. *''The Wares of Autolycus: Selected literary essays. London, New York, & Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1965. Collected editions *''Wayfaring'' (selected essays & poems). London: Cape, 1929. *''Prose and Poetry: Centenary volume'' (edited by Frederick Page; introduction by Vita Sackville-West). London: Cape, 1947; Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press. Edited *''The Flower of the Mind: A choice among the best poems. London: Grant Richards, 1893. (anthology of English verse). *Francis Thompson, ''Poems (editor and producer). London: John Lane, 1893; Boston: Copeland & Day, 1895.Poems (1895), , Internet Archive. Web, Sep. 30, 2013. *Thomas Gordon Hake, Selected Poems (selected with prefatory note by Meynell). London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1894.Selected Poems (1894), Internet Archive. Web, Sep. 30, 2013. *Coventry Patmore, Poetry of Pathos and Delight. 1896. London: William Heinemann, 1896.Poetry of Pathos and Delight (1896), Internet Archive. Web, Sep. 30, 2013. *''A Seventeenth-Century Anthology''. London: Blackie, 1904; Boston: Caldwell, 1904. *William Blake, Poems (selected with introduction by Meynell). London: Blackie, 1911. *''The School of Poetry: An anthology chosen for young readers. London: W. Collins, 1923; New York: Scribner, 1924. ''Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Alice Meynell, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Sep. 30, 2013. See also *List of British poets References *Badeni, June, The Slender Tree, A life of Alice Meynell. Cornwall: Tabb House, 1981. - ISBN 0-907018-01-7. Notes External links *"Maternity" * Alice Meynell in the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900: "The Lady of the Lambs", "Renouncement" * Alice Meynell in The New Poetry: An anthology "Maternity", "Chimes" * Selected Poetry of Alice Meynell (1847-1922) (2 poems) at Representative Poetry Online *4 poems by Meynell: "In Autumn," "The Roaring Frost," "The October Redbreast," "In February" *Meynell in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895: "The Modern Poet," "Song," "Changeless," "Renouncement," "Song of the Night at Daybreak" *Meynell in the Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse: "To a Daisy," "Via, et Veritas, et Vita," "The Unknown God," "In Portugal, 1912," "Christ in the Universe" *Meynell in A Book of Women's Verse: "In Manchester Square," "Christ in the Universe," "Renouncement," "A Letter from a Girl to Her own Old Age," "Chimes" * Alice Meynell at Poets' Corner * Alice Meynell at PoemHunter (21 poems) *Alice Meynell at Poetry Nook (130 poems) ;Prose * Essays by Alice Meynell at Quotidiana.org ;Books * [http://poetry.elcore.net/CatholicPoets/Meynell/index.html The Poems of Alice Meynell (1923)] * ;Audio / video *Alice Meynell poems at YouTube ;About *Alice Meynell in the Encyclopædia Britannica * Alice Meynell at Spartacus Educational * Alice Meynell, Poet of Poets - University of Virginia * Original article is at Alice Christiana Meynell Category:English poets Category:English essayists Category:Women of the Victorian era Category:Women essayists Category:English suffragists Category:Roman Catholic writers Category:English Roman Catholics Category:English Catholic poets Category:Catholic poets Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism Category:Roman Catholic activists Category:Women poets Category:English women writers Category:1847 births Category:1922 deaths Category:19th-century poets Category:20th-century poets Category:Poets Category:English-language poets Category:19th-century women writers Category:20th-century women writers